Christian Dior: The First 20 Collections

Following his early career as an art gallerist and illustrator, Christian Dior emerged as one of the most influential couturiers of the 20th century, shaping a transformative era in fashion history. This presentation examines Dior’s creative evolution, as he emerges with the revolutionary “New Look” in 1947, through the shifting silhouettes and controversies over hemlines during the 1950s, culminating in his untimely death in 1957. Over this pivotal decade, Dior established the house’s enduring design codes, which have shaped the visions of his seven successors, including Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

*Entrée Libre: free entry for students with ID

About Matthew Yokobosky

Matthew Yokobosky was appointed Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture at the Brooklyn Museum in 2018, having previously held the position of Director of Exhibition Design. Since 1999, Matthew has curated and designed over 100 temporary and permanent exhibitions, including the critically acclaimed Luce Center for American Art: Visible Storage - Study Center (2005), Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life (2006), Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present (2009), Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe (2014), Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern (2017), David Bowie Is (2018), Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion (2019), Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams (2021) and Solid Gold (2024), in celebration of the Brooklyn Museum’s 200 th anniversary. In 2023, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the President of France, for “showcasing French fashion” which reflects “that France is truly a land of innovation.”

The Symposium on The Arts of France, a cultural program of the Alliance Française de Chicago, is a fundraising event providing support for our cultural, educational, and outreach programming each year. The Alliance Française is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

Photo Credit: Paul Strecker, Christian Dior, huile sur toile, 1928. By courtesy of the Paul Strecker-Foundation, Mainz. Collection Christian Dior.